


love (wip)

by sonofdvrin



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, Miscommunication, Pining, i know it's annoying but it had to happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26648752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonofdvrin/pseuds/sonofdvrin
Summary: Look, Mitch never expected to fall in love with Zach, but it’s really hard not to. And as much as he would love to never confess his feelings, he knows he can’t keep them secret forever. But each time he tries to confess, something keeps getting in the way.
Relationships: Zach Hyman/Mitch Marner
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: HockeyNetwork Gift Exchange Collection





	love (wip)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bluejay141519](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluejay141519/gifts).



> This was written as a pinch hitter gift as part of the hockeynetwork gift exchange! I had fun writing this, even if it was a bit of a learning curve since I've only ever dabbled in Leafs content :')

_ “If you ever ask me how many times you’ve crossed my mind, I would say once. Because you came, and never left.” — Ritu Ghatourey _

The preseason has just started to ramp up, and Mitch has found himself lounging at Zach’s apartment again. Over the last year or so, Mitch has found himself spending more time with Zach, especially when things start getting more intense. There’s just something so calming about Zach’s energy, and Mitch can’t help but gravitate towards it. He loves all of his friends on the Leafs equally, but there’s just something that can’t be matched with Zach.

At this point, Zach has stopped questioning when Mitch turns up out of the blue, and just lets him into the apartment. Right now, they’re not even really doing much. Mitch is barely paying attention to the NHL game that’s on TV, while Zach is working intensely on his next book. Granted, Mitch could be doing this at his own place, but he’d much rather be with Zach right now.

“Is it okay if I just have dinner here?” Mitch inquires, despite it still being the early afternoon.

Zach smiles softly. “You know you’re always welcome here, Mitch. I’ve told you to stop asking because if I didn’t want you here, I would have said something.”

“I know, it just feels a little weird, I guess,” Mitch replies, faintly blushing.

“Well, consider this your open invitation to stay as long as you want to whenever you come over,” Zach says, smiling brightly.

This only makes Mitch blush even more. “If you’re sure…”

“Of course I’m sure.”

Mitch just smiles in return, and goes back, looking at the TV. He knows that Zach really doesn’t have any issue with him just hanging out, but it feels weird, especially when they’re doing separate things. Whenever he’s hanging out with someone else on the team, there’s always something going on. But in Zach’s apartment, it’s like everything slows down and it feels like Mitch can finally catch his breath.

“Do you ever get bored of me just hanging around here and not doing anything?” Mitch asks curiously. “Like, I can’t remember the last time we really did something together.”

“We went to check out that new cafe last week,” Zach answers, frowning. “Is this you hinting that you’re bored? Because I’m sure some of the other guys are free if you want to go do something.”

“No, it’s just… I don’t want you to feel like I’m intruding or whatever when we’re just chilling. Like I never do this with any of the other guys.”

Zach shrugs. “I really don’t mind. You know when I want space and it’s nice having someone around while I work on other stuff. It gets kind of lonely otherwise.”

“Oh, well, I’m glad to keep you company then,” Mitch says, smiling a little.

Zach smiles back. “I’m glad that you think I’m worth hanging out with, even when we’re not doing anything together.”

“Of course,” Mitch says softly, before letting Zach get back to working on his book.

There are moments like this where Mitch wonders if there’s something else he’s feeling when he’s with Zach. It’s just that there’s nobody else on the team he’s had these quiet, intimate moments with. All of it is probably nothing, and Mitch is probably just reading too much into it. But there are moments like this where he wonders if there’s something more to everything; that there  _ is _ something going on. As he usually does, though, Mitch just shrugs it off and goes back to paying attention to the game.

It’s not until a couple months into the season where Mitch starts to notice that he and Zach have developed a routine of sorts. Every time there’s a hard loss or rough practice, he finds himself gravitating towards Zach instead of anyone else. They do what they always do, just lounge around or go get a nice meal somewhere. All of it feels much more domestic than anything else Mitch has ever experienced. 

How normal it feels is what throws Mitch off the most. He wouldn’t want to trade this for anything, and it’s in that moment where it starts to hit Mitch. All of it seems to have crept up slowly enough to where he wouldn’t have realized it unless he thought about it. 

Mitch has a crush on Zach. And he’s not mad about it.

It’s just… the casualness of how they go about being around each other says more than anything. Sure, they’re different enough from each other, but Mitch feels like it helps them balance one another. They work together and there’s something about Zach that just makes him feel so incredibly happy. However, Mitch isn’t really sure what to do with all of this information.

Mitch knows that Zach likes men, at least, but he’s not sure if Zach likes him specifically. Sure, they spend a lot of time together, but that doesn’t really mean a lot. Zach would probably let anyone on the team hang around like this if they wanted to. So, Mitch can’t really take any of that to mean all that much. And Mitch really doesn’t want to say anything, either, out of fear of ruining their friendship and the ease of just hanging out.

This leaves Mitch in a weird spot where he wants to keep hanging out with Zach, but also has the irrational fear that he’ll accidentally say something. So, for the first time since coming back to Toronto for training camp, Mitch starts bailing out on Zach, coming up with random reasons that he can’t hang out. He feels bad, but he panics every time he thinks about it.

After practice one day, Tyson comes over to Mitch, and awkwardly asks, “Are you free today? I was wondering if we could hang out?”

“Yes, of course,” Mitch replies, a bit too quickly, excited at having another excuse to avoid Zach. “Did you just want to hang out at your apartment or like...actually do something?”

“Uh, just chilling sounds good,” Tyson says with a small smile. “Are you sure you’re okay with it being at my place?”

“Definitely. It’s still in the same building as Naz’s right?”

“Yeah! I’ll see you there then.”

Thirty minutes later, Mitch is chilling with Tyson, watching some reality baking show. He’s honestly not totally sure why Tyson wanted to hang out, but they’re good enough friends that Mitch doesn’t question it. Not wanting to be alone is something he totally understands, so he’ll gladly sit through this if it means keeping a friend company.

“There’s actually something I wanted to ask you about,” Tyson says during a commercial break. “And you can totally not answer it if you don’t want to, but I just need to ask.”

Mitch tilts his head in confusion. “Uh, yeah, ask away.”

“It’s just… I’m only asking because I went through something similar when I was on the Avs and I want to help if I can. But do you happen to like Zach?” Tyson inquires. “Like, do you have a crush on him?”

“Well, uh, maybe? I haven’t had too much time to think about it,” Mitch answers, blushing a little. “Wait, how did you even figure that out? Have I been that obvious?”

Tyson shrugs. “Not really, unless you know what you’re looking for. I mean, you and Zach have this weird ritual and then it just stopped out of nowhere. And any time the two of you talked, you got this look on your face that just looks like you’re trying to hide something.”

“Do you think he knows?” Mitch asks, worried.

“God no,” Tyson snorts. “I really doubt Zach has picked up on any of that.”

Mitch sighs. “Well, that’s good at least. And… do you mind if I ask what happened on the Avs? It’s just, you mentioned it and it seems like you know exactly how to read me.”

“I’m not really sure if it’s my story to tell,” Tyson says softly. “But I had some teammates go through the same exact thing of dancing around each other for too long.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Mitch sighs. “It’s just hard to know if saying something is worth the risk of losing Zach, you know? He’s become one of my best friends and I don’t want to lose him.”

“You know, even if he didn’t feel the same way, I really doubt Zach would be one to hold it against you.”

“That was a very confident statement,” Mitch points out. 

“I mean, I can’t be sure, but it would never hurt to like… actually bring it up. There’s no sense in all the what-ifs, especially if you know it won’t end badly.”

“But it could end badly.”

“Sure, but what would you rather be stuck with? Wondering if things could have worked out or a bit of awkwardness for a little while?”

Mitch groans. “You’re probably right.”

“I know I’m right. Besides, avoiding Zach isn’t going to work forever. I’m surprised he hasn’t said anything yet.”

“You know he’s too nice to act hurt about it. He gets it more than anyone when things pop up and make you busy. The dude has five million different things he’s doing.”

Tyson snorts. “That’s very true. At the very least, please stop avoiding him because that’s not going to make either of you happy in the long wrong.”

“Thanks for the pep talk, Tys,” Mitch says softly, before turning back to the TV.

* * *

Thankfully, Zach never really questions why Mitch stopped hanging out with him for several weeks. He just shrugs, and says that he’s glad that they can get back into their routine. Mitch is extremely grateful for that because he’s still not completely comfortable with trying to explain the real reason why. And so things go back to normal for the next few weeks as Mitch tries to plan out what he should do next.

Mitch knows that Tyson said to just admit his feelings, but it just doesn’t feel right. He feels like it needs to be special because this is something important. Sure, Mitch can probably do something casual and Zach would be perfectly happy with it, but Zach deserves something amazing because  _ he’s _ amazing. And so this is how Mitch ends up asking all of the married guys about nice restaurants in Toronto.

“What’s the occasion?” Spezza says when Mitch asks him. “Is it like… a date? Since when were you dating?”

Mitch blushes. “Oh, um, it’s not a date. But hopefully there  _ will _ be a date if it goes well?”

“Ah, I get it now. Who’s the lucky person?”

“It’s, uh, Zach.”

“Like...Zach Hyman? Our Zach?” Spezza inquires, surprised. “Not what I was expecting, but also makes sense the more I think about it.”

Mitch smiles faintly. “Yeah, I hope it goes well.”

“And I’m sure it will. I’ll ask Jennifer when I get home to see what some of her favorite places are and then I’ll text you.”

“Thank you so much,” Mitch says gratefully. 

“I’m sure he’ll say yes, and even if he doesn’t, I don't think things will get weird,” Spezza says.

“Tyson said that too.”

“Because he’s right. But I’m sure it’ll go well.”

Later that night, Spezza texts Mitch with a list of restaurants in Toronto, including a couple of nicer places that have just opened. Mitch skims through the options, and chooses something that looks to have a relatively chill atmosphere. As nice as he wants it to be, he doesn’t want it to be too much.

When he calls to make a reservation, the soonest time they have open that doesn’t conflict with the Leafs schedule is almost a month away. It’s further away than he wants it to be, but hopefully this gives him time to build up the confidence in asking Zach out. There’s so many different options to go through, and Mitch wants it to be perfect.

They’re chilling in Zach’s apartment one night when Mitch brings up the dinner plans.

“So, Spezza told me about this cool place that’s just opened up and I wanted to check it out,” Mitch says, faking casualness. “And I was hoping that you’d want to go with me? I know you like checking out new restaurants here.”

“Oh. yeah, that’d actually be really cool. When is it? I want to make sure that my schedule is clear.”

“It’s on the 10th at 6pm, if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, I can make work,” Zach says with a small smile.

Mitch smiles back, and puts his focus back on the hockey game that’s playing. He feels slightly guilty about not telling Zach the real reason why he wants to have dinner, but it’s better this way. Besides, Zach deserves something nice with all of the work he’s been putting in with his book, so Mitch tries to use that as the reason why confessing his feelings couldn’t be done over something casual.

Before Mitch knows it, it’s the week of the dinner. Zach has seemed way more stressed over the edits his book received, so Mitch hopes that it doesn’t get in the way of dinner. But it also makes him second guess if he should really say anything. Zach is already under so much stress… but Mitch tries to shrug it off, thinking that there really isn’t much of a time that Zach isn’t worried about something.

But it’s after practice only two days before Mitch’s plans to confess his feelings that Zach pulls him to the side.

“Look, I know that I promised to go to dinner with you, but my agent has to have a last minute meeting with me about the book. The soonest we could meet is on the 10th and I don’t know how long it’ll last,” Zach explains, apologetically. “I really hate to bail out on you, but I’m sure someone else will be happy to go with you.”

“Oh,” Mitch says, trying to hold back tears. “Yeah, that’s totally fine, I get it. I’ll let you know how the food is.”

Zach smiles brightly. “Thank you so much for understanding. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“Of course you will,” Mitch says, laughing a little.

Zach nods and walks down the hallway. Mitch tries to not get emotional about it, but he was really hoping that this would be the moment he could confess his feelings. But it just means that he’ll have to figure something else out. He’s not really sure what that’ll look like, but Mitch will figure it out.

“Mitch, are you okay?” Tyson inquires, concerned. “I just saw Zach walk down the hallway looking stressed.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mitch says quietly. “I was actually planning on taking him to dinner and telling him about my crush, but he cancelled on me.”

“Did… did he find out or?” 

“No, he just has a meeting with his writing agent on the same day,” Mitch explains. “Now I have to figure out some other way to woo him.”

“I could try and help if you want. If you haven’t cancelled the reservations yet, we could brainstorm over dinner?”

“That would actually be really nice, if you don’t mind.”

Tyson smiles brightly. “I would love nothing more.”

Dinner actually goes really well, and Mitch knows that he’s got a good friend in Tyson. They decide that something a little bit more casual might work better so that Mitch can adjust the date if Zach has surprise meetings again. And that way, Mitch can also build up his confidence a bit more, and if things go badly for any reason, it’ll also be easier to bail out.

The next day after practice, Mitch plops down on Zach’s couch, feeling a little tense, unsure of what to say or do. Zach gives him a questioning glance, but doesn’t say anything at first. Mitch flips through a couple of channels, trying to find something mindless to watch before Zach says anything.

“So, how did dinner go?” Zach inquires. “You haven’t said anything yet, which means it’s probably not that great.”

“It was good, I guess. I went with Tyson,” Mitch replies. “Food was decent, but I don't know if I need to go back any time soon. Didn’t seem worth the price, to be honest.”

“So you won’t take me there?” Zach jokingly asks.

Mitch snorts. “You deserve better, trust me.”

It almost looks like Zach blushes, but Mitch ignores it, though, assuming that he just saw things. They spend the rest of the day just hanging out, and Mitch enjoys the ease of just being around Zach. It’s rare that he feels comfortable doing nothing with someone else, so he enjoys every second of today and decides to not ask about exploring Toronto. He doesn’t want to ruin the moment, even if it wouldn’t be suspicious.

The following morning at practice, Tyson skates over to Mitch, and gives him a questioning look, obviously curious how the previous night went. He raises an eyebrow when Mitch doesn’t say anything at first.

“I just… got nervous, I guess,” Mitch says quietly, even if Zach is on the other side of the rink. “I swear Zach can read me so fast, and I didn’t want to mess anything up.”

Tyson frowns. “Waiting isn’t going to make you less nervous.”

“I know that,” Mitch sighs. “But it just didn’t feel right. And before you say anything, I  _ know _ there’s never a perfect moment, but last night was not it.”

“Fine, but I won’t let you put it off forever. I can’t deal with all this pining again,” Tyson jokes.

Mitch snorts. “Whatever you say.”

When he and Tyson join the group again, Zach gives him a questioning look, but Mitch shrugs it off. He knows he wouldn’t be able to think of a believable lie on the spot, and Tyson probably wouldn’t help matters either. Thankfully, Zach doesn’t say anything about it, even after practice. Ignoring it probably isn’t a great option, but Mitch needs to build up his confidence again.

It takes a couple of days, but finally Zach corners Mitch after practice. Tyson gives him a quick thumbs up before leaving the locker room. He can feel his heart race, even though there’s nothing he needs to hide. Mitch is just nervous that he’ll confess his feelings if he doesn’t get his nerves in check.

“Are you doing okay, Mitch? You’ve seemed a little off the last few days,” Zach inquires softly.

“Yeah, I’m doing okay. Just been busy hanging with Tyson,” Mitch answers, unsure of what else to say. “He was asking me about some places here in Toronto.”

Zach gives him an unsure look. “Well, if you say so.”

“I am,” Mitch says, gaining a little bit of confidence back. “I was actually wondering if you wanted to go to a couple of places we found? There was this really cool bookstore and café that I think you would absolutely love. And a cool retro gaming store as well, if you’re not tired of either of those things.”

“That… would actually be really nice,” Zach replies. “When were you thinking?”

“I mean, whenever you’re free. I’m not sure of when you have meetings and stuff when we have off days,” Mitch says.

“Let me double check, and then I’ll text you?” Zach says, hesitant.

Mitch smiles. “Yeah, sounds good.”

Zach gives him a soft smile in return before leaving the locker room. Mitch lets out a sigh, and grabs the rest of his stuff before heading out. He has to keep telling himself that everything will work out, and even if it doesn’t, Zach isn’t malicious enough to ruin the team dynamic. Whatever happens will happen, and Mitch tries to keep telling himself that.

Only a few hours later, Zach texts him saying that the following Monday should be good, since there’s no games or practice, and he doesn’t have any meetings. Mitch replies excitedly, before panicking as he realizes that’s less than a week from today. Which means in less than a week, Mitch will know if Zach feels the same way as him. It’s terrifying to think about, which means Mitch ends up texting Tyson, considering he’s the only other person who knows about this whole situation.

_ Zach said next Monday!! I think I’m going to panic before then _ , is what Mitch ends up saying.

**That’s exciting!! Do we need to go over the plan again?**

_ I think I’m okay?? But idk dude, Zach will fucking know in less than a week!! That’s kind of terrifying?? _

**You’ll be fine, and if not, you can always come cry on my couch :’)**

_ Good bc you’re the reason this is even happening at all _

**:)))**

Mitch just rolls his eyes, and tosses his phone to the side. It’s not that he’s not excited at the thought of finally dating Zach, but the thought of  _ knowing _ that Zach could say no to it all is what’s scaring Mitch. He doesn’t want to deal with the awkwardness of being around the person who turns him down, but he also can’t fathom the thought of losing Zach either. They’ve gotten too close for Mitch to be able to imagine not having Zach around.

Before he knows it, Monday is here, and he’s walking the streets of Toronto with Zach. There’s a small hint of the cold weather to come, but nothing neither of them can’t handle. Things seem to be going well, but then again, the day has only just started, meaning there’s been no way for Mitch to mess things up already.

“So, was it you or Tyson that found these places? Because in all our time hanging out together, you’ve never suggested a bookstore before,” Zach jokes.

Mitch blushes a little. “I mean, Tyson found it, but I figured you got enough of books and stuff since you’re an author and everything. Didn’t want to do anything you would find boring.”

“I’d never find anything with you boring, Mitch. Besides, just because I write doesn’t mean I’ve been to all the bookstores here in Toronto,” Zach explains, smiling.

Mitch blushes a little. “Well, that’s good to know you’re not bored of me yet.”

“I don’t think anyone could ever get bored of you,” Zach says, laughing a little. “I’m just happy we get to spend some time together. So much of my time recently has been spent in meetings, practices, or games. This is nice.”

Mitch smiles softly, before falling silent. In moments like this, he’s almost certain that Zach feels the same way. Considering none of his other friends have ever said something like this to him before, it has to mean  _ something _ , right? At least this is what Mitch assures himself with as they make their way to the bookshop.

“This place is amazing,” Zach whispers, as they enter. “How did Tyson even find this place?”

Mitch shrugs. “I have no clue, but I’m glad he did. Is there anywhere you want to look at first?”

Over the next hour or so, Mitch follows Zach around as they check out all of the sections. Zach ends up buying a couple of books before they make their way over to the attached cafe that Tyson promised was good. Mitch insists on buying their coffee, trying to make today feel like as much of a date as possible. He’s honestly not sure if it’s getting across, but Mitch wants to be sure that he’s doing everything he can to make Zach feel special. They end up grabbing a table in the corner, and talking about the upcoming season.

“I have a good feeling about this year,” Mitch says confidently. “I might be speaking too soon, but I like our team dynamic.”

Zach smiles. “Yeah, I think we’re finally figuring ourselves out. Hopefully this doesn’t haunt us eventually.”

They continue to make small talk as they finish their coffees before heading back out into Toronto. As they slowly make their way to the retro arcade, Mitch feels himself gaining the confidence to say something to Zach. Even though the day is barely getting started, he feels like this is the moment he’s been waiting for.

And then Zach’s phone is ringing loudly, snapping Mitch back to reality. Zach sighs, but picks it up when he sees who’s calling. Mitch frowns a little, but let’s Zach talk to whoever is on the other line. When Zach starts to look more stressed, Mitch gets worried that something serious is happening, making him extremely anxious.

Zach hangs up, and sighs. “Look, I hate to do this, but I really have to go. I guess there’s something urgent my agent needs to talk about that can’t wait.”

“Oh, um, okay,” Mitch says, unsure of what else to say.

“I really hate that this is happening again, I feel so bad,” Zach replies, frowning. “I would put it off if I could but…”

“No, I know you would. Can I at least walk you back to your apartment?”

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Zach says with a soft smile.

Mitch is sure he can say something now and confess his feelings, but that seems like a cheap and rushed move to make. Zach deserves better than a rushed confession, and he seems stressed enough about whatever his agent said that Mitch doesn’t want to throw something like this out there. He’ll just have to figure something else out, whatever that may be.

“Well, I guess this is me,” Zach says once they get to his apartment building. “I’m really sorry that today got cut short, I feel bad.”

“No, I know you can’t control when you have meetings. We’ll just have to hang out some other time,” Mitch says, faking a smile.

“I’ll see you at practice then,” Zach replies, before heading up to his place.

Mitch sighs, and makes his way back to his place. When he finally flops down on his couch, he starts to feel a bit discouraged. That’s twice now that Mitch hasn’t been able to confess his feelings, and there’s a small part of him that wants to take that as a sign to not say anything. It’s probably overdramatic, but he can’t help but to feel like the universe is trying to tell him something.

The following morning at practice, Tyson gives him an inquisitive look, obviously curious at how the previous day went. Mitch just frowns and shakes his head, not wanting to talk about it. Thankfully, Tyson doesn’t say anything, and lets it be until after they’re heading out for the day. 

“Did he say no?” Tyson inquires. “I didn’t think he would.”

“I never actually got the chance to ask. He had another meeting come up,” Mitch explains, sighing.

Tyson frowns. “Really? Another meeting?”

“That’s what I was thinking!” Mitch exclaims. “I really think I need to take this as a sign.”

“No, you’re most definitely not taking this as a sign. The only way you’ll know for sure is if you ask him outright,” Tyson insists. “Look, maybe it doesn’t need to be something special, it could just be on a day that you’re just chilling.”

“It’s Zach, though, it needs to be special. I want it to be.”

Tyson sighs. “Okay, well, we can think of something else. Maybe something after the All-Stars game since his book should be published by then. No random meetings then, right?”

“That’s… actually a good idea.”

“I told you, I have experience with this. I promise it’ll work out just fine.”

* * *

And so for the next couple of months, Mitch tries to not think about just asking Zach to go on a date outright. As tempting as the idea is, he’s really set on making sure things are special for when he does end up asking Zach out. Sure, he would probably end up being happy with anything, but Mitch has  _ plans _ . 

As the All-Star game approaches, Mitch starts spending more time with Tyson, partly to plan how to ask out Zach, but also partly because they enjoy hanging out with each other. Their newfound friendship never really comes up in conversation when Mitch is with Zach, besides when Mitch has a funny story to share, which is convenient. He would really hate having to try and explain why he and Tyson have been hanging out more.

Of course, as soon as Mitch thinks he’s in the clear is exactly the time that he’s not. Mitch never really thought that there would ever be much of an issue after Zach seemingly just shrugged at the idea of Mitch and Tyson becoming friends so quickly. But of course Zach became curious one day after he was explaining something dumb Tyson did.

“I’m surprised that the two of you got this close this fast,” Zach remarks one day. “I didn’t even realize the two of you were friends.”

Mitch freezes briefly. “I mean, I guess we just found out that we had some stuff in common and just clicked.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Zach says. “Would he want to hang out with us sometime? We haven’t hung out too much and if you like him so much...it’d be nice to get to know him.”

“Um, maybe? I’ll have to ask him about it,” Mitch replies, hesitant. “Maybe sometime after the All-Star game?”

“Afterwards? There’s still a couple of weeks until you leave for that,” Zach points out. “I’m sure we could do movie night or something before then.”

“We just have… plans before then? And it’s nice just chilling,” Mitch says awkwardly.

Zach frowns a little. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

Thankfully, Zach doesn’t push it anymore, so Mitch tries to not think about it. Normally, he would be fine hanging out before the All-Star game, but he and Tyson have plans to try and figure something romantic out for what they’ve dubbed ‘Operation Zach’. There’s a small part of him that feels bad, but it’s for the best that Mitch tries to avoid the issue at hand before he ruins everything.

And things seem to settle back to normal, letting Mitch enjoy the usual build-up to the All-Stars game. Things go as well as they always do at the game as well, and he’s able to forget everything in the fun. It’s a nice break from worrying about Zach finding out about his feelings before he’s ready to say anything. 

When he gets back to Toronto, Mitch is feeling confident that whatever he and Tyson plan out next, it’ll work. He’s determined to not have anything get in the way this time, even if it doesn’t go perfectly. Mitch is feeling relaxed enough about it all that he doesn’t really notice Zach acting a little bit out of the norm, brushing it off as getting back into the swing of things after a long break.

It’s not until Mitch and Tyson are talking about whether or not Valentine’s Day dates are too cheesy in the locker room that things go wrong. Most everyone has already filtered out after practice, leaving the two of them to argue what qualified as ‘too much’ for a first date.

“Look, I know you want it to be a memorable experience, but it doesn’t need to be something extravagant,” Tyson sighs. 

“But it’d be our first date,” Mitch replies, frowning. “I want it to be something special.”

“Please, anything you do will be considered special. I really wouldn’t overthink it, that will only make things more stressful.”

Neither of them notice Zach coming into the locker room until he clears his throat. Tyson and Mitch look over and freeze, both terrified that he overheard more than he should. Nobody says anything for a few brief moments that feel like an eternity.

“Am I interrupting something?” Zach asks awkwardly.

“No, I’m just trying to knock some sense into Mitch about Valentine’s Day,” Tyson explains. “Did you forget something in here?”

“Uh, yeah, just realized I forgot my hat. Um, I’ll let you get back to it then,” Zach says, grabbing his hat, and then rushing out of the room.

Mitch groans. “He totally overheard us. I’ve completely ruined it.”

“No you didn’t, he hardly heard anything, much less you confessing your undying love for him.”

“But still… what if this makes things weird?”

Tyson snorts. “I promise nothing is going to be weird between the two of you. Just talk to him, okay?”

“I guess,” Mitch says with a small frown. “You sure everything will be fine?”

“I’m certain. All you need to do is talk to him, and everything will work out.”

However, trying to find time to talk to Zach turns out to be harder than expected. If Mitch didn’t know any better, he would guess that Zach was trying to avoid him. But he tries to brush it off as Zach having more important things to do than hang out with him. It hurts, but Mitch gets it, Zach is busy.

However, after two weeks of Zach doing his best to avoid Mitch, even during practices and games, he goes to Tyson, not feeling comfortable bringing it up with any of the other guys. Something about it just doesn’t feel right to him, especially considering how much he and Zach have previously been hanging out.

“I just don’t know why he’s avoiding me. Like… I don’t think I said anything to him and I can’t clarify because he won’t get anywhere near me!” Mitch complains as he flops down on Tyson’s couch. “Do you think he could have found out that I like him? I know you said he didn’t but…”

“I really don’t think he heard anything,” Tyson says calmly. “Maybe something is happening with his book or the gaming company. He has a lot on his plate right now.”

“But he’s always felt comfortable complaining to me. I feel like I messed things up, but I don’t know  _ how _ .”

“I think you just need to text him and be upfront with him. Zach appreciates honesty more than anyone I know, so if you just tell him, you can start working things out.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready to have my heart broken yet,” Mitch whispers. “I know he’d let me down gently but I don’t know if I can handle that.”

“Look, I know you don’t want to because it’s scary, but it’s better to just get it over with, you know? And you know I always have junk food here that we definitely shouldn’t be eating. You also have the other guys on the team to support you too,” Tyson explains reassuringly. 

“I know you’re right. I’m just scared of knowing the answer.”

“How about you text him now and if things get weird, you can hang out here for the rest of the night.”

“That… sounds really good actually.”

So Mitch pulls out his phone and says,  _ I know you’re probably v busy, but it’s been weeks since we’ve hung out. I wanna hang out sometime and if I made something weird, we can talk about it bc I miss you :( _

Zach doesn’t reply immediately, which isn’t much of a surprise, so Mitch eats dinner with Tyson, anxiously waiting for a reply. It takes a reply, but the second he sees a notification from Zach, Mitch opens the text.

**Sorry I’ve been busy, but I should be free Saturday after practice?**

_ Yeah!! I can do that!! :) _

“Oh, well, that’s soon,” Mitch says, after setting his phone down.

“Yes, all the sooner to clear things up,” Tyson replies pointedly. “And if you need any help, I’m here for you, okay?”

Mitch nods, sighing. He’s not sure if he’s quite ready for it, but he knows that Tyson is right. And he does feel better knowing that there’s a definite day that he can talk things out with Zach. Even if things don’t go the way Mitch wants, at least he’ll finally have an answer.

Things are still a little weird leading up to Saturday, especially since Zach still won’t really talk to Mitch. One way or another, he’ll confess his feelings, even if it ends up not being everything he hopes it’ll be. Tyson is right in the fact that he just needs to say something at this point, otherwise he’ll just be caught up in almost  _ always _ doing it.

When Saturday rolls around, Mitch can practically feel himself vibrating out of his skin. Knowing that in just a few hours, everything about his relationship with Zach will be changing is terrifying. Mitch does his best to try and stay calm, but it’s difficult to focus during practice. The second they’re finished with drills for the day, Mitch skates over to Zach, wanting to make sure that their plans aren’t forgotten.

“So, uh, my place?” Zach inquires as they head towards the locker room.

Mitch nods. “Yeah, that would be great. I’ll see you there?”

Zach nods, smiling a little before going to shower and change. In comparison to practice, it seems like no time has passed by the time Mitch gets to Zach’s apartment. Tyson had given him a thumb’s up before he left the locker room, so he really hopes today ends up going well, even if it’s hard to not focus on everything that could go wrong.

As per usual, Mitch and Zach flop down on the couch and pull up a show that doesn’t require much thinking power. They sit in silence for a few minutes, as they settle in and get relaxed. Just as Mitch is thinking of how to start the conversation, Zach turns to him. And it catches Mitch off-guard by how  _ hurt _ Zach looks, tears obviously threatening to spill over.

“When were you going to tell me that you and Tyson were dating?” Zach asks, voice breaking. “I thought we were  _ friends _ . You could have told me.”

“I—what? You think Tyson and I are dating?” Mitch replies, confused. 

Zach sighs, and turns away from Mitch, trying to hide his tears. “I mean, the two of you started hanging out seemingly out of nowhere, and then a couple weeks ago in the locker room… I heard the two of you talking about a date.”

“That—I, fuck that makes sense, but we aren’t dating, I swear,” Mitch sighs. “Just… let me explain, please?”

Zach turns to face him, looking visibly torn. This really isn’t how Mitch wanted everything to go, but he has to set everything straight.

“Tyson and I only started hanging out because he confronted me about being in love with  _ you _ . He read me so fast, and only wanted me to help confess my feelings because he went through something similar on the Avs,” Mitch explains. “And the date we were talking about? We were talking about my first date with  _ you _ .”

Zach looks at him in disbelief for a moment, eyes searching for any sign of a lie. “You’re not joking?”

“No, I’d never joke about this,” Mitch whispers. “I, Mitch Marner, am undoubtedly in love with you, Zach Hyman.”

“Oh my god,” Zach says softly, before reaching out to grab Mitch’s hand. “I was so sure you were with Tyson.”

“He’s amazing, but not really my type,” Mitch says. “You’re much better.”

Zach lets out a soft laugh at that. “Well, that’s good to know.”

“You, um, you feel the same way, right?”

“Of course I do, you idiot. I’ve wanted to say something for so long, but wasn’t sure how to. I got so scared of rejection every time.”

“I would have never said no,” Mitch says softly.

And with that, Zach leans in, and kisses Mitch. It’s everything he imagined when kissing Zach, and he can’t help but to lean into it, trying to make up for all the lost time. He’s not sure how long they sit there, trading soft kisses. By the time Mitch pulls away, he feels like he’s in a complete daze, trying to process what just happened.

“We could have been doing this for so long,” Mitch whispers. “I’m sorry I never said anything before, though. I had so many chances and just… didn’t.”

“Is that why you wanted to take me to dinner that one time? And taking me to the bookstore? Was that supposed to be a  _ date _ ?” Zach asks in disbelief.

Mitch blushes. “I mean, yeah. But it obviously didn’t work.”

“I demand a redo,” Zach replies, laughing a little. “I want to do the dating thing properly this time.”

“I can live with that,” Mitch says, before kissing Zach again. 

_ “I burned so long and so quiet, you must have wondered if I loved you back. I did, I did, I do.” — Annelyse Gelman, from “The Pillowcase” _   



End file.
